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 When questing about the realms of Icewind Dale, you are bound to run into some rather unfriendly creatures. Just giving these monsters a dirty look won't scare them, as many are much bigger and stronger than your party members. This is when you reach into your bag of tricks and pull out some monster mashing equipment. There are many different types of weapon, and there are multiple strategies for equipping your party members. Plan for your stronger members, such as your fighters and rangers, to use close-quarters combat weapons. Leave your weaker spellcasters behind them to use their long-range weapons. However, should one of your weaker members be cornered away from help, make sure he is equipped with some sort of melee weapon. Following is a short description of the different types. There are several different categories of damage types. Some monsters have a particular immunity to damage types, while others are particularly weak. Take the skeleton for example. These monsters might do well against a bow and arrow, for there is a good chance the arrow will sail right through their torsos without hitting a bone. Now, if you bring out a hammer or mace, there is a good chance you are going to turn one of their limbs into a pile of dust. It's useful to know the weaknesses and strengths of your enemies. For further information on these weaknesses, check out the included table at the end of this section. The Axe Class Damage type: Slashing Imagine a three-foot dwarf with a scraggly beard, a beat up helmet, dented armor, and thick leather boots. Which weapon do you think goes with this picture? A six-foot staff? Hardly. An axe can be a deadly tool of the trade for your stronger companions. Bards, clerics, fighters, paladins, and rangers can all be equipped with one. At least one of your front line members should be proficient and equipped with an axe. A word of caution, though: These weapons are slower to use, so if you are trying to disrupt a spellcaster, opt for a faster weapon such as a dagger, hammer, or one-handed short sword. The Club Class Damage type: Crushing These weapons were the reason for the start of baseball after smashing your opponent's head in became socially unacceptable. The club comes in a variety of flavors. They include the basic club, the morning star, the flail, and the mace. The people that can use these types of weapons are bards, clerics, fighters, paladins, and rangers. Early in the game, use one of the weapons slots on all your front-line men for some sort of club, as you will be running into lots of skeletons who will be no match for your old time baseball skills. The Dagger Class Damage type: Piercing These weapons are extremely fast and are good if you are trying to disrupt spellcasters. While they may not do a whole lot of damage, their strength is in how many attacks you can get out per round. Most also carry an enchantment with them that will help slit the throats of your enemies. These should mainly be carried by your weaker characters that can't use the more powerful weapons, but put one in a weapon slot of a fighter, so that he can keep an enemy mage or priest from casting while the rest of your party focuses its attention elsewhere.
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